The Raven And The Fairy
by FireFlyFlies
Summary: Arella has always known her parents weren't her real parents, and she had always accepted that. Not knowing who her real parents were wasn't even that big of a deal in her life, until the moment she turned 20 that is. Suddenly the past seems to be coming for her, and it all starts with a raven she saves and a man she meets, who would've thought they were one and the same. Diaval/OC
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

The story that I'm about to share with you is not for the lighthearted. There are dark and sinister moments hiding within the world surrounding the Moors, even before the humans started attacking it, even before Maleficent was born. That history has been deemed insignificant by those currently inhabiting the Moors, but it certainly is not. You see, within that history the story that I'm about to tell you finds its roots, and that story can have either great or disastrous consequences for not only the creatures in the Moors but also the humans.

The story starts there where many fairytales start, with the birth of a girl. This was no ordinary girl however; it was a fairy, the daughter of Caoilfinn, Fairy Queen of the east side of the Moors. Under the queen's reign the land flourished and thrived, harboring a diversity of majestic creatures as well as plants never seen before. She was a pure hearted queen, caring for every single living, and lifeless, thing around. Her pureness was the reason Mother Nature chose to bestow her with a gift, a young girl. That gift however, would lead to something terrible.

Caoilfinn was aware that her sister, Nefarious, Fairy Queen of the West, would never approve of her bearing a child if she herself did not get that same chance. Caoilfinn and Nefarious had never seen eye to eye. As the land of the Moors was divided between them, the differences between the two sisters showed within the land. Nefarious wasn't pure hearted, quite on the contrary, she was bitter and resentful. Her land withered under her reign, which gave her all the more reason to hate her sister. While Caoilfinn was loved by all within the Moors, Nefarious was feared, even by Caoilfinn herself.

The Fairy Queen of the East knew that she had to keep her pregnancy secret from her sister if she wanted her daughter to be able to live. That is why she left the Moors behind, and disguised herself as a human, living in the town nearby. That is where she gave birth to a baby girl, a girl with the smoothest of skins, the most enchanting green eyes and the most adorable smile anyone had ever seen.

The power influx that the birth of a fairy, especially a strong fairy, causes however betrayed Caoilfinn and Nefarious knew instantly that something was going on. She sent her servants out to find out what exactly that was and when they returned with the news of a newborn girl, she got furious. Storms started raging over the lands and Caoilfinn knew at that very moment that her sister had found out. She had no choice but to put a spell on her daughter in order to save her, taking away that which made her special, her powers, in order to keep her off the queen's radar. However binding a fairy's power costs tremendous strength and it was only temporary. The spell would hide the girl sure, but it would not save her from the Queen of the West if she was found. That was why Caoilfinn left with the girl pressed tightly against her chest. She brought the girl back into the forest she had previously escaped into, a blanket protecting her from the cold. She weaved a small basket the baby would fit in and placed the letter she had written next to her. She then kissed the baby's forehead, and as tears traced down her cheeks she cast one last spell over the girl, one that froze time. It would make it seem like no time had passed for her, until the day she was found.

Then, with the last ounce of energy she could muster, Caoilfinn returned to the Moors, ready herself to face her sister. She stood no chance however; as she had almost no power left and Nefarious' wrath was too much for her to defeat. The Queen of the East died thinking about her little girl, as the Queen of the West was still clueless as to the young one's whereabouts. She ordered everyone under her control to look for the girl, and for years none found her, until one day a servant returned and told her about the spell and how the animals of the forest prevented anyone from getting close. This enraged the Queen even more, and in a flight of frenzy she murdered the informer. She had no way of finding the girl, and she would most likely be dead before the girl would be found, as had been what Caoilfinn had hoped for. Her hope was futile however, as she made the same mistake everyone always had and which had caused Nefarious to feel as hateful towards her surroundings as she did, underestimate the Queen of the West.

The Queen thought long and hard about what to do about this situation, until she came with a solution. She cast a spell over herself, the same time freezing spell as Caoilfinn had cast on her daughter. She made sure she would be awoken the moment the girl would receive her powers again, as it was of no interest to her to kill a mere human, which is what the girl would be until the moment of her 20th birthday. When that time would come, she would kill the girl and complete her vengeance on her sister.

Meanwhile the child itself was unaware of everything that was happening around her. She remembered nothing and she did not notice time passing as for her it wasn't. The animals protecting her however were all too aware of the time passing, starting to worry that there would never be a person venturing in this part of the woods that could take care of the girl. As such the moment that a farmer came by on his way to home, the animals engaged, trying everything to get the farmer's attention. They lead him to basket carrying the child and as the farmer broke through the barrier of time, the girl opened her eyes and looked straight into his. He fell in love with her at first sight and knew at that moment she would become the daughter he and his wife had always hoped for. It didn't matter where she came from or how she got there, he would protect her with all his might. He could never have imagined though just how challenging her future would become….


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note: So this is the first real chapter of the story which I hope you will all like! It's their first meeting :D haha, anyways thank you for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it! I can't give you a regular schedule of updates I'm afraid, as I am quite busy at the moment with other stories as well as life itself, but I will try to get the story online as soon as possible! I came up with the idea after watching the movie and falling in love with Diaval. At first it was supposed to be a oneshot of him falling in love with a girl and then meeting her in person, but that idea kind of evolved into this story... So hope you all like it! Please enjoy**_

_**Special thanks to Avalanet, Allanna Stone and SesshiraRayu for their reviews. I did my best to space things up ;) **_

Chapter 1: Saving a Raven

"Father, I promise I will return before nightfall!" Arella chuckled as she stood before her father with a loving smile. "Nothing will happen so don't worry!" She tried to assure her father. The farmer had a deep crease in his forehead however, caused by the frown on his face. "I don't know my dear Arella, it's just that you are such a beautiful woman and to think that you have to go into town all by yourself..." he shook his head to get the nightmarish images of what could happen to his sweet girl out. "There are always those who would love to take advantage of you."

Arella leaned forward and pressed a kiss on her father's forehead. "I am sure there will be enough gentleman around to save me from such vulgar people, father." She told him softly. "Jonathan for instance would never let anything happen to me." Arella smiled as she remembered how her best friend since childhood had always stood up for her, sometimes earning himself a heavy beating just to protect her.

Her father also chuckled this time, "I still don't understand my dear why you won't just marry that boy!"

"Because he is not _the one_!" She explained once more, even though the previous hundred times hadn't helped her father realize that either so she doubted it would now. "And I can't be married when I meet my true love!" She continued with a foolish grin, winking. "Now, I will be on my way father or I might not even make it back before sunrise." She curtsied gracefully in her father's direction after which she turned around and started running towards the trail that would lead to the town she called home.

* * *

The farmer watched his daughter go with again another frown settling on his tired features. Even if she told him not to worry, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Every time she said it he was reminded of the first day he saw those clear and enchanting green eyes, the day that his dearest wish was finally granted and he received a daughter. He shook his head and sighed warily, heading inside of the farmhouse they lived in. It was a rundown place, there was no doubt about it, but it was a place filled with memories and so he could not bring himself to sell it.

He walked over to a cabinet and sat down before it, opening the drawer and pulling out an envelope with elegant golden lettering on it reading _Arella_. He put it in front of him and stared, feeling another's gaze rest upon him. He looked up at a drawing of his wife, one made by the sketch artist of the town. All three of them were pictured on it and their happiness glowed through the parchment it had been drawn on.

"What to do, my love?" He whispered as he looked at his wife. "Almost 20, and I still cannot decide what to do..." he sighed and put the envelope back where he'd put it. Just a few more months, then he'd have to make the choice whether to give it to her, or keep it from her. That cursed letter that could destroy everything he had built with the girl he now thought of as his daughter.

* * *

Meanwhile Arella had returned to a slower pace, her eyes set on the clear blue sky that promised it would be a beautiful day. She was feeling giddy today for some unknown reason, as if something good was about to happen. She nodded and greeted those she met along the way, and waved at the children that were staring at her from behind the window. And reason to stare they had, for this young woman was beyond beautiful. It was even rumored that she outshone the princess' beauty in many ways, though of course she didn't believe that herself.

Her looks however did always make her wonder what her real parents had looked like. Of course she knew she wasn't the blood related daughter of the farmer and his wife, even if she _did_ love both of them with all her heart. If they hadn't told her she would've eventually found out anyway. Her long light blonde hair that almost appeared white in the warm light of the sun and her forest green eyes did not fit her black haired and brown eyed father, nor her brown haired blue eyed mother. But she didn't mind the fact they weren't her real parents, they had been a happy family, right up until the moment her mother died of illness that is.

Her face instantly fell at the memory, but she was soon cheered up again by the arrival of her best friend Jonathan. "Well good morning, milady." He said as he bowed, taking the basket she was carrying as if it was too heavy for her. She raised an eyebrow and he sighed, handing it back. "If you would just allow men to be chivalrous, maybe you wouldn't be so-"

"If you're going to say alone I am going to hit you." She warned him and he soon changed his mind. "Independent." He said instead.

She laughed, "There is nothing wrong with independence, dear sir."

"I beg to differ," he replied. "I really wish you would let me do these things for you." His tone was serious and Arella felt her heart twinge at the sight of his frown. She hated seeing her friend hurt, but she couldn't help it. Being more than friends with him just didn't feel right.

"If you want to do something," she told him in defeat. "Go get some bread for me."

He lightened up and grinned, "Be right back." He said as he went off to the bakery, leaving Arella watching after him. She really did hope he would one day find his true love, it just wasn't her. If only he could see that…

She continued her journey through the town and by midday she had collected everything she needed. Jonathan had already returned with the bread but before he could continue any conversation he was called back to the blacksmith's, where he worked. He excused himself with a deep bow and hurried back to work, which made the girl chuckle lightly before returning home with her basket full of goods.

She decided to walk along the edge of the forest, as that was by far the most magical place at this time. She often wondered what the lands beyond that forest beheld, but never got the chance to figure out. Her eyes trailed along the trees, hoping to catch a glimpse of something magnificent like she sometimes did, but instead she found just simple trees, branches and fallen leaves. She sighed, it was moments like these that she felt a hole in her heart.

Her whole life she had believed she was destined for something; and however much she tried to shake that feeling off it never went away. Yet here she was, almost twenty and still nothing had happened that could change her life forever. Her home was caring and loving, but it wasn't enough. She simply missed something that she couldn't grasp, as she had no idea what is was, which made it all the more frustrating.

As she was about to turn around and walk the rest of the way home straight through the grasslands, she was stopped by the sound of a dog barking. She turned her head towards the sound and started towards it as she wondered what was going on. She soon saw it and stopped, looking around to see if there was anyone that could be the owner of the dog in front of her.

The animal was barking right up a tree, growling and trying to jump up but failing miserably. She took a few steps closer and the dog directed his growl at her instead. She stretched her neck, trying to see what the dog had been barking at and soon spotted it. It was a bird trapped in a net, a raven to be precise. She could see there was blood on its wing even as it fought the restraints and she felt sorry for the poor creature.

She rummaged around in her basket and soon found what she was looking for, pulling the sausage out and throwing it over to another tree. The dog ran right after it and she quickly loosened the tied net, hearing voices approach. She narrowed her eyes and worked faster, until finally it came loose. She took the bird carefully in her arms and ran away carrying it close to her chest, running until she was far enough away to no longer hear the sounds of the hunters.

She stopped and put the raven on the ground carefully, inspecting its wing and shaking her head in disbelief.

"How could they do such a thing?" She asked as she looked at the hurt creature, whose eyes stood clear and were aimed at her. It was almost like he was agreeing with her and Arella smiled at her imagination. She turned to her basket and pulled out a cloth.

"This will hurt, I'm sorry." She said softly as she tied it around the wing. The bird cawed and bit her in the arm. She pulled back quickly and glared at the animal.

"I warned you, ok!" She told him off. "And I'm trying to help!" She continued. It was as if his eyes showed regret in what he'd done and he took a step towards her hand, moving his head underneath it as if to ask for forgiveness.

She sighed and smiled, "Its fine." She told the bird. "Now get on the basket, I'm taking you home with me. I've got herbs that will ease the pain and a better bandage for the wound."

That moment was the moment she knew that the bird understood what she said, as it walked over to the basket and with one wing tried to get on top of it. She helped it along, careful not to touch the injured wing, and when he sat in place she picket the basket up again and continued her journey home, humming softly as the raven's dark eyes watched her closely and full of curiosity as to who this girl was that had saved him.

* * *

"Ok, I know you're a bird and that it might be harder for you than for a human, but sit still already!" Arella scolded the raven standing on the desk she was sitting in front of as she took off his makeshift bandage. The bird cawed and she shushed it. "If my father hears you, you're out of here in no time." She hissed, shaking her head as she took the herbs she had found in her father's medicinal cabinet. She started crushing them with a mortar for a few minutes, the bird moving over to her hand as if smelling the stuff she was going to put on his wing.

"Here, you want to taste some?" She asked as she held out her hand with crushed rose colored petals. He seemed to eye her warily and she rolled her eyes, "It isn't like I'm poisoning you or anything." She said dryly and he seemed to consider that as he took a step forward and took some in his beak, shaking his head immediately at the bitter taste. Her mouth twitched and she couldn't hold back the laugh that escaped, making him glare at her. A knock on the door made them both freeze however and Arella quickly got up and took a careful hold of the bird, hiding it underneath the desk. She then opened the door with a smile, "Evening father." She greeted the farmer. "Is there something wrong?"

Neither of them noticed the raven moving slightly closer to watch the scene from underneath the desk. He saw the worried eyes of the farmer scan his daughter and shake his head. "No my dear, I just wanted to wish you a good night before going off to bed." He said as he looked at her desk and noticed the petals. "Are you not feeling well?" He asked her even more worried than before. "It's just a simple headache father, nothing to worry yourself over. I'll be fine again tomorrow." He nodded slowly and forced a smile, "I trust you won't make it too late?"

"Of course not, father." She replied, giving him a kiss on the cheek and wishing him goodnight before closing the door and returning to the desk. She pulled the chair out carefully and picked the raven up again. "We were lucky he didn't see you." She whispered with a sparkle in her eyes as she put him back on the desk.

She took the crushed petals she had luckily been able to make up an excuse for and smeared them over her fingers, carefully taking ahold of the injured wing and stretching it. The raven tried to suppress another caw and she noticed, frowning as she tried to be even more gentle. She smeared the crushed petals onto the wound and quickly grabbed a more appropriate bandage, covering the wound with the soft fabric.

When finally done she looked at the bird and apologized, "That must've truly hurt.." she whispered as she looked away in guilt. The raven felt something take ahold of him and in order to relieve her from the guilty expression he brushed his uninjured wing across her arm softly. She smiled and gave him a kiss on his head for the gesture, getting up and putting everything she'd used away. After she had cleaned everything she blew out all but one candle, changing into her nightwear before going to bed.

When she turned back to the raven she noticed how he had turned around as if to give her privacy. She smiled at the thought and walked over to him, pressing a kiss on the top of his head again. She stepped into bed and the raven sat beside her, watching her with dark eyes as she blew out the last candle. She could see his outline against the light from the moon, "You really are a wondrous creature." She whispered to him as she closed her eyes and fell into a deep dreamless sleep, not even half aware of the extent of truth that sentence really carried for the bird not only possessed this form, but also a human, and he was known as the winged fairy's helper, Diaval.

* * *

The next morning she got up early, sneaking downstairs to get a few grapes from the bunch she had gotten the day before. When she returned to the room she threw one right at him, which he caught easily even if he couldn't move as well with the injured wing. She put the rest of the grapes in a pile on her bed and he started eating eagerly, which made her chuckle. She got dressed for the day while he was busy eating and waited for her father to wake up. When he did he announced he would be going to the land, which was what she'd waited for.

She watched him leave through the window like she normally did and waved one last time. When he was out of sight she turned back to the bird with a grin. "We've got the house to ourselves!" She exclaimed happily. She was glad that was the case or the bird would've been confined to her room alone. Now he could hop along as she did her tasks.

Arella cleaned the house from top to bottom, finished the dishes and her knitting work and finally cooked dinner, all while the raven followed her around while watching her closely. The bird stood on the counter now, watching her stir the pot of stew. It smelled delicious and he found himself wanting some of it. She noticed and prepared a bowl for him, putting it on the counter as well so he could reach it. He devoured the meal like it was his last and he loved every single taste that filled his mouth. He had found out that this girl had many talents, and obviously cooking was one of them.

Arella leaned in and watched the bird eat, smiling at the sight. "You sure have a healthy appetite." She chuckled, taking the empty bowl and putting some more stew inside. He ate all of it, and she would've given him another bowl if it hadn't almost been the time that her father would return. She carried him upstairs and told him to wait there until after dinner. She would see if she could maybe smuggle another bowl in for him. That prospect made the raven feel giddy as he sat on the desk. However when he heard voices floating in from outside the feeling disappeared. He couldn't quite make out what was being said but he recognized Arella's father's voice together with another he did not know. If he could just make it to the window sill, he thought, but as he spread his wings a pain shot through him that he could not defy.

That reminded him of how Arella had carried him almost everywhere. It made him feel helpless and like a burden, which was one of the reasons he was determined to quickly strengthen his wing again. From that moment on he spread and unspread his wings over and over again when Arella was not around, biting through the pain. He would jump onto the chair from the desk he'd been put on and try to fly. This mostly resulted in falling and having to climb all the way up again, which made him hungry.

Lucky for him Arella never failed to bring food up for him right when he needed it, and she would watch him eat with delight even though it wasn't the prettiest sight. Every time again he vowed he would be a more graceful eater, but the hunger would take over and he had devoured half the bowl before even realizing what he was doing. Arella never seemed to mind though, which was a relief to him as he didn't want to leave a bad impression on this girl for some reason.

One day, about a week after the accident, he again jumped off the chair, and his wings caught him. He wasn't able to fly over to the window sill, but he still landed in a more controlled manner than before. This made him even more determined and soon he was able to fly again, though no long stretches. He wanted to show Arella in the morning and could hardly wait until she woke up, resulting in him jumping onto her bed and cawing softly into her ear in order to get her to wake up.

Her green eyes opened and raised to meet his dark orbs and she smiled sleepily, making the raven forget for a moment what he had been wanting to do again. She looked beautiful, so beautiful….

"What's wrong?" Arella asked him and then he remembered again. He stood at the edge of the bed and slowly spread his wings. He then took off and as he did he heard her gasp and clasp her hands together in delight. "You can fly again!" She called out in joy.

That made him feel proud of himself and turn around to fly back towards her, but when a sudden shot of pain went through him he lost control and flew right into her. She caught him however and fell back onto the bed again, chuckling. "Well at least you can fly." She told him with a wink. Diaval cawed in agreement and flew towards her desk, landing carefully. That evening, after Arella's father had once again gone to the market and returned, he again could hear voices outside. This time he did fly over to the window, and listened in to the conversation.

"Thank you for your help, Jonathan." He heard Arella's father say. "You really are a true gentleman."

The man named Jonathan laughed shortly, though it wasn't sincere. "I wish your daughter would see that." He then said, sounding rather sad.

Diaval narrowed his eyes at the sound of that, not entirely understanding his own reaction. "You should ask her to marry you, Jonathan. You know you have my blessing." Her father spoke.

"I know," the guy replied, "And I had been planning to do so this week. However she did not come into town, so I did not get the chance."

"Yes, she is confined to her bedroom nowadays, except when I'm gone. I wonder why."

The raven knew exactly why, it was because of him. He felt a slight satisfaction at the thought that he had prevented this guy from proposing to Arella, however that didn't make him hate the guy any less for even wanting to.

"She probably already found out what I was planning." Jonathan sighed. "She has a way of reading people, you know."

"Yes," Arella's father replied, almost sounding regretful. "I know."

I didn't hear anything else as that was the moment Arella walked into the room, smiling at me as she found me. "Hey, here you have your dinner, sir." She said with a bow and a wink, being distracted almost immediately by her father calling her name, probably just having said goodbye to that Jonathan guy.

"I'll be back after dinner." She quickly said, and turned around again to leave. Diaval watched her leave and looked down at the food. Even though he'd been hungry before, somehow he lost his appetite now. He couldn't do anything about this as a bird, but as a human…

He suddenly was remembered of Maleficent, which he in all honesty hadn't thought about all that much in the past days. He instantly felt guilty, as she and Aurora were probably worrying about him. He had never been gone this long on an errand. He decided he would return to them tomorrow, he should be able to fly to them now. The only thing he would be dreading however, was the goodbye with Arella…

* * *

Arella found her beloved bird sitting over by the window when she brought him food, and all throughout dinner she wondered if he had wanted to leave. He _had_ been with her long enough. His wound was almost healed and he could fly again. Being trapped in a room wasn't that great, was it really? Especially not for a bird. She wondered about is so much that she completely missed her father's questions, and when she finally realized he'd asked something he had waved it away and asked her if she was alright instead. She nodded reassuringly, "I am perfectly alright, I'm just tired." She answered, excusing herself from the table and heading back to her room quickly.

She found him standing by the window again, his food untouched and she sighed, closing the door behind her. The raven looked up at her entrance and cocked his head to the side questioningly at her sad eyes.

"You have enough of this place, don't you?" She asked him with a sigh as she sat down. He flew onto the desk and looked her in the eye. "You want to return to where you're from, do you not?"

She looked genuinely sad as she asked it and Diaval was inclined to shake his head but he couldn't. If he really wanted to return to his human form he'd need to leave, so he nodded instead. She smiled sadly and nodded as well, "Then tonight when father is asleep I will take you outside and you will be free again."

He cawed in agreement, though Arella missed the sadness in the sound that was definitely there. As it was said, it was done. When her father had gone to bed and she could hear his snores she got up from bed and allowed the bird to step onto her arm. She carried a lantern with her down the stairs and outside, standing in the moonlight and the light of the lantern. The raven looked at her for a moment and she smiled.

"I hope you will return some day." She whispered. He leaned in and stroked his beak over the place he had bitten her at their first meeting. He silently promised her that he _would_ return, and that he would always, because she had stolen his heart and he wished nothing more but to steal hers in return.

He then spread his wings and took off, cawing again loudly while she could hear the beating of his wings as he circled above her once before disappearing. She listened to the sound fading and felt something wet tracing down her cheek, a tear. She was crying over the goodbye of an injured bird she helped, she could laugh at herself right now, but she didn't. She knew that it was more than just a bird, he had been her friend, and somehow watching him leave made her heart ache.

At that thought a realization hit her. The reason her heart ached was because for once that hole in her heart had been filled, and now that which had filled it, was leaving her….


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thankyou everyone for your reviews, follows and favorites! Hope you like this chapter as well :)**_

Chapter 2: The return of the raven

Diaval sat in a tree in the land of the Moors, looking over the water but not really seeing anything. He even missed the water nymphs' efforts of dancing and manipulating the water around them in order to catch his eye. His mind was preoccupied with a certain female he had only recently met, yet she didn't seem to want to leave his thoughts.

He could recall every single second from the moment she saved him up until the day he flew away. It was as if the rest of his memories were dull when compared to those moments and he wanted nothing more but to go back and see her again.

That was the main reason he was still in his human form right now. He had requested it of his friend and mistress, knowing that if he got the chance to fly he wouldn't hesitate before returning to her side. Of course this form didn't obstruct him from going back into town, but it would take longer and as such gave him more time to rethink his actions and keep himself in check.

He let out a noise that sounded a lot like a caw as he jumped down from the tree, shaking his head as if trying to get his mind off of her. It wasn't helping however and he sighed. That was the time Aurora chose to reveal herself. She'd been watching him for a while now, worried, but he hadn't noticed her. He looked up, startled at her sudden appearance, and she crossed her arms and looked him over with narrowed eyes, demanding an answer even before the question was asked.

"What is going on with you?"

He raised an eyebrow and was about to answer her when she stopped him. "And don't you dare say that 'it's nothing' because it obviously is! Ever since you returned you've been acting distant. You have asked not to be turned back into a bird, and whenever the nymphs try to cheer you up with their dancing you don't even notice it!"

Diaval looked up in surprise as she said it, admitting that he hadn't noticed that at all. This caused disgruntled grunts from the nymphs as they left and he couldn't help but feel sorry for hurting their feelings with his absent state of mind.

"So, tell me!" Aurora continued. "What's wrong with you?!"

He noticed the worried look in her eyes and he felt bad. He'd kept it from all of them as he hadn't wanted to worry them, but obviously that wasn't working very well. He sighed and gestured for Aurora to go for a walk with him. They strolled through the forest together as he thought about how to explain exactly how he was feeling and why, which was harder than one would think as he himself wasn't even sure what he was feeling or why!

"I can't forget about her…" He then finally whispered, almost feeling embarrassed. "It's like she is in my every thought and honestly it is driving me crazy almost as much as I love it.."

He looked over at Aurora who was staring at him with wide eyes. She hadn't expected this… He had told them about the girl that had saved him, sure, and he had talked about her warmly but this… this was more than just warm feelings and he didn't seem to realize that quite yet. _She _recognized those feelings however and she knew that he had fallen for the woman, whoever she was.

"That is also the reason I asked Maleficent to keep from changing me into a raven too soon, because I knew that if she did I wouldn't be able to stop myself from flying over to her." He looked away, sounding frustrated and ashamed and Aurora felt for him. She touched his arm comfortingly.

"But why is it so important to stop yourself from doing so?" Aurora asked him quietly, not wanting to sound too pushy but also feeling curious as to his reasoning in this situation. He looked up at her with a slight smile on his lips, "I vowed to be by Maleficent's side to help her with whatever she needs, if I am not by her side, how am I supposed to do as promised?"

A sudden sound from behind them made both Aurora and Diaval look up, seeing Maleficent walk up to them with an unreadable expression on her face.

"I am glad that I came across the two of you," she started as her eyes focused mainly on Diaval. "I have a job for you."

Diaval nodded and bowed slightly, "At your service."

"I would like for you to go to the castle and see what the situation is over there." Maleficent told him, waving her hands a little and turning Diaval back into a raven with a whisper of the words. She turned around as to not be facing him and continued, "Oh, and if you would like to head into town to see just how your savior is faring, be my guest." She said as she walked back into the forest again, leaving a stunned raven and a laughing Aurora behind. "What are you waiting for pretty bird?" The girl asked the raven with a wink. "Go on!"

* * *

Arella was staring out of her window at the trees quietly swaying in the wind. She felt lonely, as she had been feeling ever since the bird had left. Of course before all of this she had also been alone whenever her father was gone, but after experiencing the alternative she wished it could always be like that. It couldn't though, and the fact that she was sweeping the upper floor and collecting the dust all by herself only proved that.

Truth was that even Jonathan's presence would be something she would prefer to this, which said a lot…

She shuddered at the thought of her best friend, who she had been avoiding ever since three days ago, the exact day the raven had flown home. That day she had gone into town in order to not feel so lonely. Jonathan had found her bargaining for the strawberries she had always loved and had bought them for her. She had scolded him for doing so, which she usually did, and had simply expected him to joke. Instead though his expression changed, he had never looked so serious.

"I will no longer let you tell me how you want to be independent, Arella." He had told her seriously, his eyes piercing right through her. "Because I do not wish for you to be anymore."

She had felt her heart stop at those words, as she knew exactly what was going to follow and she was dreading it beyond anything.

"I know this is not exactly the right time or place, but however I look at it nowhere and never seems to be. That is why I have decided that I am simply going to say it, and ask you."

He had taken a deep breath and she had known that interrupting him in that moment would be considered very rude. "I wish for you to marry me, my sweet Arella. I know you have known for some time how I feel about you, and that you never wanted me to feel that way, but I do and I can't help it. You are more to me than just a friend and I promise that if you say yes I will make you fall in love with me like I have fallen for you."

She had wanted to say something right then but he had stopped her before she could.

"Please consider my offer and don't rush it. I will be awaiting your answer until your birthday, if you haven't answered by then; I will realize what your decision is."

He had bowed then and had left her speechless, feeling several eyes on her as they had without a doubt been listening. After about a minute of staring at the strawberries in her hand she fled home, running all the way, and locked herself up in her room until it was time to make dinner.

Her birthday was getting closer and closer and she was growing more agitated with each passing day. She had told her father about the offer and he had been glowing ever since, ushering her to agree with the offer as it would mean a bright and wealthy future for her.

Jonathan's father was a successful farmer in a town close by, and on top of that he was a merchant during winter which made their income flow throughout the year. If she were to marry Jonathan she would not have to worry about anything anymore, he'd said. She hadn't dared to take that happy grin off his face, as it had been a long time since she'd seen it, but that didn't mean she liked what he had to say.

Arella sighed and sat down on top of the stairs, putting her head in her hands. God she hated this. She wished her mother were still here so she could talk to her about it. She didn't have many girlfriends, actually no good female friends at all. All of them had been either jealous of her or simply had wanted to hang out with her to become popular with Jonathan. The only person she would be able to talk to about her problem was Jonathan, and considering he _was_ the problem that wasn't a solution.

She was about to get up and get back to work in order to forget everything, when she heard a caw coming from outside. Her head snapped up at the sound and she quickly hurried down the stairs over to the door. As she opened it she instantly noticed the raven sitting in front of the house on top of the well. She grinned as she recognized him and ran over to him without hesitating.

"You came back!" She exclaimed excitedly. "I'm so happy! You have no idea how much I've missed you!"

She reached out and gave the bird an awkward hug, but neither of them really cared about the awkwardness of it. She leaned back and looked into the raven's eyes, seeing something that made her doubt what she just had said. It was as if the bird knew exactly how much she had missed him, as he had done the same. She quickly dismissed that thought however, even if he was intelligent, he was still a bird and there was no way a bird would miss a human.

She welcomed the raven inside and gave him a bowl of leftover stew from the day before. This time Diaval ate more controlled and she smiled as she watched him. "I guess you've been eating well then."

She chuckled as she decided she would start with the dishes while he ate, she could continue with the rest of the house afterwards. She was so happy to see the bird again that even though she almost talked to him nonstop about everything that she'd been doing after he left, she didn't mention Jonathan whatsoever. Actually, she had forgotten all about him.

Diaval listened to her every word in delight, loving to hear the sound of her voice again and only wishing he would be able to tell her that. He soon shook the thought off however, there was no way he ever could. If he wanted to he'd first have to see her in his human form, and she wouldn't know him like that so she would probably not even talk to him.

As she talked and he listened she cleaned the rest of the house, not feeling lonely any longer. Right as she was about to finish the raven hopped over to the door and started scratching it with his beak, telling her that he had to leave. She smiled ruefully as she walked up to him and opened the door.

"Thank you for coming by and keeping me company," She told him and he cawed happily. "Please come back soon!" She chuckled as the raven flew off back into the forest. He didn't leave however; instead he waited in the trees until she would fall asleep.

He listened in to the conversations she had with her father and watched how she readied herself for bed, though staying a gentleman by looking away when she got changed. He left when he could finally hear her soft rhythmic breathing that indicated she was fast asleep. He flew back to the Moors, knowing that he would have to inform a mighty curious Aurora and maybe even an eavesdropping fairy.

* * *

The next morning he returned, as did he the day after that. They spent the day together and he would leave again before her father returned home. However much he enjoyed watching and listening to her, spending the day with her in general really, he still couldn't help but wish he could do more. He wished he could talk back, ask her questions; answer hers. That would be impossible if he were to stay in this form though, and Aurora was all too aware of that fact.

The princess had been trying to convince him to go talk to the woman in human form ever since he returned the first time after visiting her. He refused every time, claiming that he couldn't do that because it wasn't right. This left Aurora with no real choice, she just _had _to go to her Fairy Godmother and ask her for help. This would definitely result in a most amusing scene unfolding before the two women. One that would change everything.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews. Please let me know what you think of this chapter as well. Hope you enjoy their first scene together for real!_**

Chapter 3: The eyes of a raven

Arella was humming softly as she twirled from one bush to the other, picking berries for a birthday cake she was planning to make for her father, whose birthday was only two weeks prior to hers. She knew how much he loved blackberries and had decided to make a cake for him in the spur of the moment as she had woken up that morning.

She had waited until noon to see if the raven would arrive, but he didn't. She couldn't say she didn't mind a little, but pushing that feeling away she decided to make it a productive day nonetheless. She figured that if he wanted to find her, he would be able to. And she was right about that. Because from several trees away said raven was watching the young woman closely.

Diaval had found her like this, twirling around with a happy look on her face as she sometimes popped a berry in her mouth and savored the taste. It had been such a peaceful scene that he simply hadn't been able to bring himself to intrude.

He wasn't the only one spying though, as there were four more eyes trained on both the woman _and_ the raven.

"What do you think, godmother?" The blonde haired girl who was watching the two with great curiosity asked the fairy beside her.

The impassive look on the fairy's face would have seemed uninterested if it weren't for the glint in her eyes that betrayed all.

"If we don't do anything he will never have the guts to talk to her properly," Aurora continued. "and she seems like a really nice girl!"

Maleficent looked at the woman who her precious bird was watching intently, almost as if she would disappear the moment his eyes wandered off for just a second. She had to agree with Aurora, but that wasn't the only reason she was helping. She once as well experienced the feeling of love, and even though it did not work out well for her, it could still work out for those she cared for. And Diaval seemed smitten, to say the least.

"You're right." She told the girl beside her with a fraction of a smile. "Let's help them along a bit."

She waved her fingers and orange dust appeared, she aimed at Diaval and whispered, "Into a man."

The raven had been watching the woman unaware of what was about to happen. He was in no way prepared for the sudden push he received that almost threw him off the branch he'd been sitting on. Instead though he felt his body heat up, his muscles expanding, limbs forming and in that moment he knew that Aurora and Maleficent had followed him here. There was nothing he could do about it however, as the shift from bird to man had already commenced, and the branch broke under the sudden increase of weight.

* * *

Arella was just about to shake a small bush of berries to get them to fall in her basket when she heard the thud, followed by a low grunt of pain. She turned around instantly, her eyes wide.

"Hello?" She asked, taking a few steps toward the sound, wondering what it possibly could've been. It sounded an awful lot like a human, but not a lot of humans came through this part of the forest as it simply led nowhere but to her house.

"Is anyone there?" She asked again, frowning slightly as she pushed the greenery away so she could see.

She noticed the man instantly, sitting on the ground awkwardly with a pained look on his face. Underneath him were the leftovers of a broken branch that had not survived. The first thing she noted about him was that he was handsome.

He had silky black hair that reached till just above the neck at the back and was combed back from the front. He was wearing a black shirt that revealed part of his chest, a black jacket and black trousers, even black shoes. On top of all that the moment he looked up his eyes also turned out to be black, and very hypnotizing.

"Are you alright?" Arella asked when she snapped out the trance his eyes had somehow bestowed on her. She hurried towards him and reached out to help him up, but he wouldn't let her, instead he got up himself. Normally that would've offended her, made her feel slightly hurt at the very least, but now it gave her a chance to inspect him closer and she couldn't say she minded much.

He had scars across the right side of his face and his neck, even on his chest she noticed several. However none of that made him even the slightest bit less attractive, instead it gave him something no one else had, something special.

Her eyes fell on his jacket that seemed to have been ripped, and she noticed blood. Her eyes widened as she hurried towards his side again and touched his arm carefully.

"This doesn't look good, you have to treat this!" She said and looked up into his eyes again, which turned out to be a big mistake.

Those eyes, she recognized them from somewhere. She was positive she had seen them before, but that was not possible. She would've remembered meeting someone like him, even if that meeting would've taken place as a child. She found herself staring and blushed, apologizing as she moved back a step and looked down.

"If you wouldn't mind, I could take care of it? I have some bandages back home and it's not far from here." She told him, realizing in that instant that he hadn't said a thing yet and feeling foolish for talking this much herself.

"I would appreciate that very much, Milady."

His words wrapped around her like black velvet, which was fitting. They sounded like music to her ears and her breath hitched slightly as she heard him speak for the first time. She turned around quickly as to not show him how his words had affected her. "Follow me then." She said casually, and started walking.

Diaval noticed a soft chuckling coming from not too far away and recognized it as Aurora's instantly, glaring slightly in the direction of the sound. He wasn't about to complain however, not when he finally had the chance to talk back to her. She led him to her house and let him in, telling him to take a seat at the dining table.

"Could you take off your jacket so I can treat the wound, please?" She asked kindly, sounding slightly formal as she shot him a small smile. He nodded and did as asked, noticing how she grabbed the same herbs she had put on his wing when he was a bird. She started crushing the petals while shooting him several curious glances.

When she was finished crushing the petals she wasn't able to hold back anymore and she finally asked.

"What is your name?"

As she waited for an answer she took his arm in hers, as if his answer was just formality. It wasn't though, she wanted to know, no she _needed_ to know.

"Diaval." He told her as he clenched his fist at the stinging the herbs caused at first. He figured that the wound must've opened up again when he'd fallen from the tree, though he didn't like that fact. Sitting here however, in this awfully familiar situation, somehow made it better.

She smiled at him and looked up a moment, "Nice to meet you, Diaval." She said before returning her attention to my wound. "My name is Arella."

_I know,_ the words lay on the tip of my tongue but I was just in time to stop them from escaping. How was I going to explain that one if word got out? I was already pretty sure she had somehow recognized my eyes, but she wouldn't immediately think of a bird and so my secret would be safe, for now.

"That is a beautiful name." He said, making her look up in surprise and blush slightly under his gaze. He noticed and felt something rise in him, a need to touch those rosy cheeks. Instead though he clenched his fist harder to stop himself. Arella mistakingly took it as a sign of pain and apologized quickly, getting up and running over to the cabinet she kept the bandages in. She took one and returned to his side, wrapping it around carefully.

"You are good at this." He told her with a smile, "If I may ask, where did you learn?"

He had wanted to ask that the first time but it's hard when you can only caw. This time though he was going to get an answer. The feeling of accomplishment soon vanished though as her eyes suddenly turned sad.

"My mother taught me. She took care of all the townspeople whenever they were ill and she taught me how to do it." Diaval nodded slowly, listening as she continued. "She died last year, got ill herself and couldn't be saved."

"I am truly sorry." Diaval apologized, wanting nothing more but that sad look to go away. "That's ok, we at least got to say goodbye. She made my father and me both promise to take care of one another." She smiled at the memory and her eyes cleared again as she looked up at him, "What about your parents?"

He looked away himself this time, "They died when I was young, I don't remember much of them." It was true, he couldn't remember anything really except for his mother feeding him in the first days of his life, though those images were all blurred.

"I am sorry." She answered and he nodded, knowing that right now they were both feeling the same way. Silence ensued at that moment as she worked on him, but it was a comfortable one. A silence filled with the memories of times that simply were gone, yet still there in our hearts.

* * *

"All done." She said after a few minutes, her smile having returned. Diaval looked down at the bandage and felt happy that he could finally properly thank her for helping him.

"Thank you very much, Milady. I owe you my life."

She looked a bit strange at that and shook her head, "It wasn't that bad." She chuckled. "But you can call me Arella, there is no need for the 'Milady'."

He smiled at that, feeling excited to be able to finally address her with her name. "Thank you then, Arella." The name flowed from his mouth like it always was supposed to. She blushed as he called her that and hid it by turning around to put away the things she no longer needed.

"You are welcome." She said almost shyly as she turned back again. "Now if you don't mind me asking, what exactly happened back there?"

He looked away at that question, and Arella believed it to be out of embarrassment, though it was more frustration. He couldn't tell her the truth, so what _could_ he tell her? "I had climbed into that tree and believed it to be a safe spot, but the branch turned out to be less sturdy than I had imagined." He eventually settled with, gauging her reaction.

"What were you doing up that tree? I mean if any other girl from town had caught you they would've thought you were spying on them."

He didn't answer that question and her eyes widened as realization hit her. "You were!" She said. "You were spying on me!"

He was afraid to look at her right now, afraid she would decide that that was it and she no longer wanted to talk to a creepy stalker like him. He couldn't lie to her however, he would never forgive himself. Instead of detesting him now though she surprised him, "Why?" She asked, sounding genuinely curious.

He looked up at her and couldn't help himself, the words rolled out of his mouth. "I was trying to muster up the courage to talk to you." He explained, which was actually true. "We met before you see, and I couldn't get you out of my head. When we met I wasn't able to speak to you, and I have regretted that ever since."

She looked at him incredulously, "We have met before?" She asked, not even mentioning the other things that he realized must've sounded just plain weird.

He nodded, "We have."

She cocked her head to the side a bit and shook her head, obviously trying to remember. "I can't recall that meeting," she whispered. "And here I was thinking we couldn't have met before because I would remember." She turned to me again. "I knew I recognized your eyes from somewhere."

Diaval smiled at her kindly, "I have changed a lot in comparison to that meeting. It is not strange you don't recognize me." He explained.

She smiled, "Thank you,"

"For what?" He asked her confused.

"For trying to make me feel less like a fool for not remembering you." She sighed and looked over at the kitchen, realizing something. "Oh, how rude of me not to offer you a drink. Would you like some?"

"No thank you, I am perfectly alright." She smiled and nodded, finally sitting down across from him again and inspecting him closely.

"Where are you from?" She asked him then. "I know for a fact you do not live in town because then I am sure I would know you."

"I am not from this town, no. I am from behind the forest."

Her eyes widened and sparkled, a wide smile forming on her lips. "You mean the land of the moors?" She asked him excitedly. He chuckled and nodded at her reaction. "That is amazing! How is it there? Is it true it houses the world's most magical and wondrous creatures?" She asked and I nodded,

"It does."

"Tell me about it, please." She begged him with his eyes and he shook his head slowly, a smirk forming.

"Not today, but I promise that when we meet again I will tell you many stories."

Her look changed from excited to daring, "Are you trying to blackmail me into meeting up with you again?" She asked him outright.

"What if I am?" He dared in turn.

She narrowed her eyes, "I will let it slide this time, but then you will have to tell me why you are in town and where you are staying." She was being bold now, even for her own standards, but she couldn't help it. Even if she _had_ met this mysterious stranger before, she couldn't remember it and she wanted to know everything about him.

He rose from his chair and smiled at her. "I will tell you upon our next meeting." He told her. "Now, I believe your father is on his way home. So I bid you a beautiful evening and I hope we will meet again."

"I will be picking berries again tomorrow considering I didn't finish today because of your interruption." She told him as she walked him to the door. "You are welcome to join me."

That made him smile. The next thing he did was bow, "Goodbye, my lovely Arella, until tomorrow." He then turned around and walked right back into the stretch of forest she had led him out of. She watched him leave, feeling her heart beat wildly in her chest.

As she went back inside she leaned against the door with her back, processing everything that had happened. At that moment she heard her father's cart return, and that was when she realized what he had said. How had he known her father would return soon? That wasn't the most pressing question though. That was rather, why would her heart not calm down?


End file.
